Shattered Paradise
by Strawberry Bubbles
Summary: Anavice, a world where dreams come true. A land where those in pain find peace. Riku wakes up in this 'Paradise', his memory hopelessly shot and his mind an ocean of questions, and only Sora can help him set things right.
1. Chapter 1

Riku's crystal blue eyes slid open, the lids slowly parting and allowing light to filter through. His head hurt and his body ached and whenever he moved bolts of numbness shot through him. Riku closed his eyes once more, letting his groggy brain fall once more into sleep. Images played behind his eyes, a happy looking girl, a puppy rolling in the sand. Every image was filled with joy, a smiling family posed in front of a Christmas tree, a little boy held up a drawing of a kitty.

"You shouldn't sleep there." A voice floated to Riku's consciousness, stirring the silver haired teen. Riku grumbled angrily. Ever so slowly he allowed his eyes to open. A few feet away stood a boy. The kid was probably fifteen, with spiky, unmanageable, brown hair and baby blue eyes.

"I said: 'You shouldn't sleep there.'" The boy said again, pointing to Riku. An easy smile lighted the boy's face as the youth took a step forward. "I know the gal that owns the shop you're sleeping in front of and I know she hates bums."

"Bum?" Riku repeated the word slowly. He wasn't a bum, was he? He couldn't quite remember. He knew he had a family of some type but he couldn't remember their names or faces.

"Yup, she hates bums." The kid shot him a sideways glance. "Since you were sleeping on the street I assumed you were jobless…" the kid paused for a moment and ran a finger across his lips. "Unless… Are you a dropper?"

Riku blinked. He had no idea what a 'dropper' was, but he was pretty sure he wasn't that either. The brunette saw the look Riku was giving and smiled widely.

"Oh, yeah," he chirped, his tenor voice echoing with laughter, "a 'dropper if I've ever seen one. Well I guess you better come with me. You've got a lot of catching up to do." The brunette stuck out his hand and helped Riku to his feet.

"I'm Sora," the kid said, his blue eyes meeting Riku's, "and this is the world where dreams can come true. Welcome to Anavice."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I still don't own Kingdom Hearts sigh

Author's Note: This chapter's still pretty short...but it's the best I can do. I am in school you know, Software Apps actually. I don't really like this class but it isn't that bad. 'Kay enough about me! Now Ch2

_Pain seared through his body. He could feel it, the blood rushing freely from his nose, dotting the carpet with splotches of crimson. He pressed a hand to his nose, trying in vain to staunch the flow._

"_What the hell?" The yelled slur of the surly drunk that was his father. Blood on the carpet was not a good thing. A rough hand gripped his arm, pulling him up, as a second hand, curled into a fist, plowed into his stomach._

Riku followed Sora obediently through the winding streets, quietly taking in the surroundings. Anavice appeared almost like any other city. Tall buildings speared the horizon, the streets bustled with people even in the early morning and brightly colored signs painted shop windows. Only on closer inspection could discrepancies be found. Some of the 'people' weren't human, the oddest of which Riku noted was a duck who walked on two legs and spoke in a rancorous quack. The signs displayed things Riku had never heard of, 'Buy Glorpol Paste', or things he would never thought of buying, 'Get Your Second Nose Implanted NOW! Discounts if you buy two!'

Sora talked as he led, telling Riku tidbits about himself and occasionally asking the silver haired teen questions.

"So, Riku, how old are you?"

The silver haired youth paused. How old was he? Panic flitted through his being, as Riku wracked his brain for the answer. "I'm…" Riku closed his eyes and concentrated. A happy boy with blue eyes and silver hair was blowing out the candles of a birthday cake. Ten candles, ten gifts, ten smiling people. "I'm older then ten."

Sora grinned and patted Riku's shoulder. "That's good enough. I'm older then ten, too. Actually, I'm fourteen…" Riku tuned out. Despite the fact that Sora didn't seem to worry about Riku's foggy memory, the silver haired teen was still worried.

He closed his eyes again. A girl with short cropped red hair was pressing a kiss to the cheek of a blushing silver haired boy.

_"Happy Fifteenth."_

"I'm fifteen." Riku said suddenly, opening his eyes. Sora blinked at the interruption but nodded when what Riku had said registered.

"Cool!" he said, grinning happily. The two boys walked a bit more before Sora slowed to a stop. "Here we are!" he proclaimed, pointing to a large building on the other side of the street. Unlike the buildings around it, no flashy signs adorned the brick and no advertisements graced its windows. It was a simple square building but, as Riku discovered it was the most important of all. It was a library.

Row after row of books lined the room, the shelves placed in a circular pattern. At the center of the circle was an empty space where tables, covered in books, sat. Bookshelves also lined the walls. Sora walked forward confidently, leading Riku to the center of the room. At one of the many tables sat a woman. Her hair was brown and held out of her face by a large pink bow that matched the color of her dress. She was reading.

"Aerith, I've brought some one to meet you!" Sora exclaimed a bit too loudly.

The woman, Aerith, glanced up from her book, a scowl on her pale lips. "Use your indoor voice in the library young man." She said as Sora pouted. Ever so slowly the corners of her mouth turned up in a grin. Soon Sora was smiling too, then the two were giggling.

Riku stared awkwardly at his feet, shifting his gaze from the floor to the book Aerith had been reading, 'A History of Water Fowl'. The text book was open to a picture of a swan…

_The boy sat on the edge of the lake throwing pieces of bread to the swans. Beside him sat a girl. He was aware of her talking, bitching about her day most likely. That was all she talked about, herself. He was aware of her scooting closer, uncomfortably close. He could smell her, the heavy scent of perfume, and the feel of her breath on her cheek._

_"Happy fifteenth." She whispered. Then she kissed his cheek, then his lips. And he kissed her back even though the smell of her perfume was making him gag. He kissed her back because that was what normal boys did and he wanted so desperately to be normal._

Riku's eyes flew open. "Kairi!" he said, his voice echoing through the shelves of books. Aerith and Sora both looked at him.

"Riku, are you okay?" Sora asked, laying a tentative hand on the silver haired youth's shoulder. Slowly, Riku nodded. "Good. Now then, Aerith, this is Riku. Riku, Aerith, the lady who runs the library." Sora grinned. "Riku here is a dropper and I figured you're the best to tell him the basics."

Aerith nodded, a slight smile on her features, as she pulled out thick book from on of her piles. She flipped through a few pages then began to read.

Thats the end of Ch 2:)

Happy Holidays!


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